Nigeria says no to exchange of jailed militants for kidnapped schoolgirls, Brit official says

The Associated PressABUJA, Nigeria -- A British official said yesterday that Nigeria's government is ruling out the possibility of releasing jailed militants in exchange for more than 270 schoolgirls who are being held captive by an Islamic extremist group.

Mark Simmonds, Britain's top official for Africa, told journalists in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, that President Goodluck Jonathan had "made it very clear that there will be no negotiation with Boko Haram that involves a swap of abducted schoolgirls for prisoners." Simmonds spoke after a meeting with Jonathan.

But Nigeria's government will talk to the militants on reconciliation, Simmonds said, talking about his discussion with Jonathan.

Britain and the United States are helping Nigeria's government to find and rescue the girls.

Boko Haram abducted more than 300 schoolgirls from a school in Chibok in the northeastern state of Borno on April 15. At least 276 of those girls are still being held captive by militants who have threatened to sell them into slavery, sparking outrage at home and abroad over the government's apparent failure to rescue them.

In a video released on Monday, Boko Haram's leader says he will free the girls only if the government releases jailed members of his group.

Villagers in an area of Nigeria where Boko Haram operates have killed and detained scores of the extremist Islamic militants who were suspected of planning a fresh attack, the residents and a security official said.

In Kalabalge, a village about 155 miles from the Borno state capital of Maiduguri, residents said they were taking matters into their own hands because the Nigerian military is not doing enough to stem Boko Haram attacks.